The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1887-03-11

c0Woo . 05u now pcuosuB ~ tuS
New Yerk legislature 70 legsli1s such
appropriations. Of which the folio wing 70
one % ths,provisIons: "And the schools
established and maintained By the New
York Catholic Protectovy shall partici-
pate 10 the distribution or the common
school fund.-" etc. II is none TO soon forl
Americans 10 protect against al inroads
upon our American system OF pubIicl
schools. A man Who is IN sympathy
With the division Of our funds amongl
denominational schools h unit 70 be-
ISuper tendent Of Public Instruction"
The CouRrER will not undertake to|
apologize for or defend Mr.. Sweeney'sI
course q County 6uperintendent. He
lie sbundsntIy able 10 tske care Of himself
lin that regard, but the Advocate IN the
above article makes some statements cal
lculaaed % misIead those who did not
read Mr. Sweeney's published letter re-
Iferred 70. aud the Advocate faiIs 70 pub
'llsh that letter, % that its readers might
place their own construction upon Il, in|
regard to lts being denial Of the charg-
Ies made. This Il less fair than Mr..
ISweeney, who reprinted the Advocates
|campaign eIectioneering article 10 full.
lCant Bro. Goodwin ever be induced To
deal justly and act fairly with his polIt-
IicsI opponents? II would certaiuly be
to HE credit 10 the Inst great day Of &C.
counting. when his politics alone will
mot admit him within the pearly gAtes,
Il be he ever 20 strenuous : Republican.
i He claims to have made "careful In
4 lvestigationn Of the schools of Dubois
county, and yet charges that .the text
books usually used we're displaced by
4 Catholic text b0oks.' Mr. Sweeney said
the entire article was false, including
that statement. A very slight investiga-
'Ilion, not 10 cay careful" one. would
have found the regularly adopted text
books 10 use IN every public school In
the county, supplemented In some In
Il ssances by church catechisms Of Catholic,
u Lutheran and Methodist denominations,
las parents indicated their preferences.
'lThis latter practice We do not believe is
'Icomm mendable, but : County 6uperin-
|tendent is given By law no power TO sup
.|press Il.
Il The article has gross misrepresenta-
Iltion again In the assertion that Mr.. 6wee'
sIney had admitted licensing forty isis
'ters." His letter and that Of Sister Mary
1IFrancis shows distincsIy that twelve
sSisters,r instead Of forty, hold license'
Ito teach common schools. Il would bt
Vie good thing for some Of the other Cath
nlolic teachers were they - fully qualified
rlto teach - the Sisters.
eI As to the schools in Jasper. the "leas
rlsGid, the soonest mended.' There
TO prevent any citizen Of th
elt0Wn, q far as law or school regulation
-Iby the Board are concerned, be be Cath
sloiic or Protestant, sending his chiIdreI
eIto whichever school he choosea. and Oh
' vlgrestest injury 10 the schools is the I'm
'tlpossibility q while managed as at pres
3 ents to properly grade them. Ihi
E IL not one Of the powers conferred u
! the County superintendent, but ID vest
: ed in the School Board Of the town, an'
y Mr.. Sweeney IL IN no way to blame 70
Tilt. The Board should thoroughly grad
Is the schools, for the benefit Of the pupili
1 without regard to the religious prede
Il lictions Of psrents, or their want OF rcli
e giou, or the commands Of any one. Bu
e - long - the parents are satisfieds an
!, ,no legal complaint is filed, the Count
Il Superintendent has no authority 70 IN
II ,terfere- For the past year, however
u there have been but two schools tsugh
d within the corporation, and they ar
{. thoroughly free schools.
n Let the Advocate In its Christian chal
q acter. strive to bnild up the cause 9
'cltruth, aud consistently adhere to it, an
:: Il will not be found Issuing campaig
y sheet TO bene6t any political party, sn
reI will have greater influence.